Lynchburg Hillcats Game Notes
Published on June 30, 2014 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Hill City Howlers News Release
LYNCHBURG HILLCATS (7-3, 41-39) vs. MYRTLE BEACH PELICANS (6-4, 50-28)
Monday, June 30, 2014 -- 7:05 PM
Calvin Falwell Field at City Stadium
RHP Wes Parsons (4-4, 3.65) vs. RHP Sam Wolff (7-4, 2.94)
LAST TIME OUT: The Hillcats beat the Pelicans 10-7 last night evening the series 1-1...The lead changed four times last night after the Hillcats took the initial 1-0 advantage in the second inning...C Tyler Tewell hit a sac fly...The Pelicans recorded just one hit through first three innings but then tagged RHP Jarett Miller for three run in the fourth with a home run and three doubles...1B Preston Beck hit the long ball...Lynchburg responded with four runs in the bottom of the fourth...They had three hits but also were helped by four consecutive walks...Miller pitched into the sixth inning but would be relieved with two outs by RHP Nate Hyatt...The Hillcats added a run in the sixth but Hyatt gave the lead back to Myrtle Beach in the seventh...He walked the first two batters, induced a fielder's choice and then surrendered an RBI single to LF Nick Williams and an RBI double to 1B Jorge Alfaro...Later with two outs, RF Chris Grayson drove in two runs with a single and the Pelicans lead 7-6...2B Eric Garcia put the Hillcats back on top with a two-run single with two outs in the bottom of the seventh...The 'Cats added two more in the eighth...3B Kevin Ahrens and 1B Justin Bloxom both doubled in the eighth, adding their third hits of the night...RHP Alex Wilson (4-2) finished the game for the Hillcats pitching the last 2.1 innings scoreless and he earned the win...Lynchburg improved to 7-3 in the second half and remain in first place in the Northern Division...
VS. MYRTLE BEACH: The Hillcats are 2-6 against the Pelicans this season...Myrtle Beach swept the Hillcats in three games in their first trip to City Stadium June 3-5, and the Hillcats were able to win one of three at the beach June 9-11...The Pelicans have out-scored the Hillcats 51-24 in the season series, and out-scored the 'Cats 37-17 in Lynchburg...2B Jose Peraza (.417) and CF Kyle Wren (.450) are the only two Hillcats to bat higher than .222 against the Pelicans this season who boast the best ERA in the circuit at 3.26 and have allowed the fewest hits (576)...The rest of the team is batting just .197 (40-for-203) against the Pelicans this season...Peraza and Wren have now both been promoted to Double-A, Peraza at the All-Star Break and Wren yesterday...
WILL YOU PROTECT THIS HOUSE: Last night, the Hillcats beat the Pelicans at home for the first time in five tries this season, improving to .500 once again at home (21-21)...Their home record is just 5th int e Carolina League...But they are over .500 (20-18) on the road, and boast the second-best road record in the circuit behind the Pelicans (27-12)...The Pelicans have the second-best road record in all of Minor League Baseball...
RUBBERMATCH: The Hillcats are 2-2 in rubbermatches this season...Tonight, they have an opportunity to win a series against the Pelicans for the first time...The Hillcats have not lost a series in the second half yet...They have only lost three of their last 14 series, and two of those have come against the Pelicans...Their most impressive run was from May 8 - June 2, when the 'Cats went 5-0-1 in series play, with an overall record of 18-8 during that stretch...
WHAT ABOUT THE CATCHER: C Tyler Tewell caught every inning in the Wilmington series, where the Hillcats threw back-to-back no-hitters, last week...He was back behind the plate last night when a two-out single in the second inning brought his no-hit streak to an end...He caught 22.1 innings without the opponents recording a hit...
BLOSSOMING BLOXOM: 1B Justin Bloxom went 0-for-4 in his Hillcats debut Friday night in Wilmington, but is 5-for-9 since in two games against the Pelicans with two doubles, an RBI, and two runs scored...The Phoenix, AZ native was signed by a Braves as minor league free agent last week after he had been released by the Nationals, where he was playing for Double-A Harrisburg...He was originally drafted in the 11th round by the Nationals in 2009 out of Kansas State......
AHRENS' TURNAROUND JUNE: 3B Kevin Ahrens went 3-for-5 last night with two doubles, an RBI, and two runs scored...He now leads the league with 24 doubles this season and is on a five game hitting streak...Batting .619 (13-for-21) with seven doubles, three RBIs, and six runs scored during this streak, and his average has shot up 28 points, from .258 to .286, the highest his batting average has been all season...He's batting .397 (31-for-78) in June after hitting .241 through April and May...
TONIGHT'S OPPOSING PITCHER: RHP Sam Wolff was selected in the sixth round of the 2013 draft by the Texas Rangers out the University of New Mexico...The Rapid City, NM native had been drafted twice before...The first time was out of high school in the 42nd round in 2009 by the Los Angeles Angels...He instead attended the University of San Diego for a season, transferred to the College of Southern Nevada (Junior College)...Was drafted again in the 47th round by the Boston Red Sox but passed again and transferred to New Mexico to play two more years...Went 1-2 with a 5.52 ERA in 2012 (undrafted) and then 7-3 with a 2.90 ERA his senior year in 2013...Named All-Mountain West first team...Made Professional debut with short-season Spokane (3-0, 1.10)...Struck out 21 in 16.1 innings...Moved up to Low-A Hickory (1-0, 0.00)...Struck out 23 in 13.2 innings...Baseball America said he had the best pro debut in his Texas draft class and had the best fastball touching 100 mph last summer...Pitched solely in relief last year, but back to starting this season...
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